There’s little doubt that this is going to be the best film about Napoleon made in a very long time, perhaps the best one ever. But for me it will depend a lot on how Scott depicts Napoleon. The word “tyrant” in the trailer isn’t a good sign.

And just a reminder for people like this guy who claim nonsense like “he was a shameless pathological liar who killed millions of people for his own insatiable vanity”, Napoleon didn’t start a single war. It was always the other European monarchs who attacked France, trying to restore the Bourbon monarchy. They were terrified that a successful French Revolution might start a trend in their own countries.

Napoleon wasn’t perfect, by any means. He made mistakes. Big mistakes. Huge mistakes! He was arrogant and ruled France with a strong hand. But he had his reasons for both of those things. In the context of his time and place, he was quite enlightened, worked his ass off to make France strong and to keep the Bourbons off the throne. Ultimately, of course, he failed. The united monarchs of Europe over-powered him. But this idea that he was some kind of psychotic tyrant is ridiculous and nobody who suggests that can be taken seriously.